Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Coronavirus: Loans

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimates they have made of the (1) number, and (2) value, of loans under the various coronavirus schemes which are deemed irrecoverable; and what are the reasons for them being irrecoverable.

Lord Callanan: Estimates can be found in the Department’s latest Annual Report and Accounts (copy attached). The Department has set out its estimates of losses expected through the three COVID-19 loan schemes and associated guarantees in note 19 to the accounts. While it is too early to give a definitive view of what the final level of irrecoverable debt will be, early repayment data is encouraging compared against the worst-case scenarios described in some published estimates.BEIS Annual Reports and Accounts 2020-21 (pdf, 7065.3KB)

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government which parts of the Subsidy Control Bill are not intended to apply to Northern Ireland because of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Callanan: Clause 48(2)(a) provides that the subsidy control requirements contained in the Bill do not apply to subsidies given, or schemes made, in accordance with Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol provides that EU State aid rules continue to apply to aid which affects trade in goods and electricity between NI and the EU.All parts of the Subsidy Control Bill apply to subsidies for services in Northern Ireland.The Government is currently in intensive discussions with the EU, with the aim of delivering significant changes to the Protocol. As outlined in the Command Paper of 21 July 2021, the UK’s proposal is that all types of subsidy would in the future be within scope of the domestic regime, with some enhanced arrangements for subsidies of significant scale in Northern Ireland.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Smuggling

Lord Young of Cookham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many successful prosecutions there have been in the last 12 months for smuggling illegal substances into prisons in England.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the number of successful prosecutions for the smuggling of illegal substances into prisons. These offences are dealt with under section 40 of the Prison Act 1952 which deals with someone who brings, throws or otherwise conveys a List A article into or out of a prison. List A includes controlled drugs, but it also includes other articles including offensive weapons, explosives and firearms or ammunition. The offence code used by HM Courts and Tribunals Service is not specific enough to establish the number of offences that are related only to conveying illegal substances.The most up to date 12 month data held for List A conveyance successful prosecutions is for 12 months up to December 2020 and there were 345 successful prosecutions in this timeframe.

Courts

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide extra Nightingale court capacity in order to address the backlog of legal cases.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: As part of the Spending Review we announced that we will be investing £477 million in the Criminal Justice System over the next three years. This will help to meet the increased demand from the additional police officers, reduce the backlog and deliver the swift access to justice that victims deserve. Analysis suggests this new investment could both improve waiting times and significantly reduce the number of outstanding cases by the end of the spending review period, ensuring that we do right by victims of crime. The Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunals Service are working together to determine the optimal allocation of funding secured at the Spending Review for 2022/23 and beyond, including the spend on physical capacity to support the continuing recovery of court performance. This process is set to conclude in early 2022. Our decisive action in the courts kept justice moving during the pandemic. We allocated over a quarter of a billion pounds to support recovery in the last financial year, making court buildings safe, rolling out new technology for remote hearings, recruiting additional staff, and opening Nightingale courtrooms, including retaining 32 Crown jury courtrooms until the end of March 2022. These measures are already working. The caseload in the Crown court has stabilised at around 60,000 cases, and we are listing over a thousand cases each week.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Peers: Correspondence

Lord Hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to respond to the letter sent by Lord Hain to the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office sent on 1 December 2021 and 3 December 2021.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Officials have subsequently responded to the emails from the Noble Lord dated 1 and 3 December.

Egypt: Prisons

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they intend to have with the government of Egypt on reports concerning the prohibition of books and exercise to prisoners in maximum security prisons in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As part of our human rights work in Egypt, we focus on lobbying to end pre-trial detention and improving prison conditions in Egypt. On human rights more broadly, the Foreign Secretary raised human rights in her first meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry in New York on 20 September. Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, James Cleverly, also raised human rights with Foreign Minister Shoukry and met human rights activists during his recent visit to Cairo. We welcome Egypt's new human rights strategy.

Genocide

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice regarding state responsibility to prevent and punish mass atrocity crimes, what assessment have they made of a “serious risk” of genocide in (1) Xinjiang, China, (2) Tigray, Ethiopia, and (3) Myanmar.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. It should be decided after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process. We seek an end to all violations of international law, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes.We are seriously concerned about the gross violations of human rights in Xinjiang and atrocities in Ethiopia and Myanmar. We are taking action in all three situations including taking steps to hold the Government of Myanmar accountable though the UN, where we coordinated a joint statement on 26 November acknowledging the risk of mass atrocities in Myanmar which called for an immediate end to the violence; undertaking diplomatic and programmatic efforts to enable a resolution to the conflict and build lasting peace in Ethiopia; and imposing sanctions, including against senior Chinese Government officials and the regime in Myanmar.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Peacekeeping Operations

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the international community to invite Bosnia and Herzegovina's adjacent states to join NATO interventions, particularly (1) Croatia, and (2) Slovenia.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK remains committed to ensuring peace and upholding international law in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Slovenia is a member of EUFOR, has personnel at NATO HQ in Sarajevo, and contributes to NATO's KFOR mission in Kosovo. Croatia also has military personnel in KFOR. In recent weeks, there have been a range of productive discussions on the Western Balkans in multilateral fora, including at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Riga, which the Foreign Secretary attended.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus

Lord Stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow jobseekers to establish their benefit status online rather than in person to reduce their risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Customers claiming Universal Credit, New Style JSA and ESA already do so online. Many parts of the verification process, which is essential to check an individual’s eligibility to claim, is also carried out online. To protect Universal Credit from the risk of fraud, in some cases we require face to face verification activity in a COVID secure environment.Key workers will continue to deliver essential services, including in jobcentres, across the UK. Anyone who needs to get support or other vital services from our jobcentres will be able to continue to do so in an environment that is safe and compliant with COVID regulations. Telephone appointments can be arranged for customers who prefer to receive support virtually. We ask customers who do come in-person to take a lateral flow test and follow all the safety measures to help reduce the spread of COVID.

Children: Poverty

Baroness Primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the impact of the benefit cap on levels of child poverty.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: It is not possible to produce a robust estimate of the impact of the benefit cap policy on levels of child poverty. The benefit cap provides a strong work incentive, which reflects our long-term focus of continuing to support parents into, and to progress in, work. Our multi-billion-pound Plan for Jobs, which has recently been expanded by £500 million, will help people across the UK to find work and to boost their wages and prospects. Official child poverty statistics, covering the period 2020/21 will be published in March 2022, as part of the Department’s (a) ‘Children In Low Income Families’ and (b) ‘Households Below Average Income’ publications, subject to the usual checks on data quality.

Violence and Harassment Convention

Baroness Primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government what objections they have received, if any, to their Command Paper declaring their intention to ratify the International Labour Organisation Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No.190).

Baroness Primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the timetable for the ratification of International Labour Organisation Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No.190).

Baroness Stedman-Scott: As of 15 December 2021, the Violence and Harassment Convention Command Paper has cleared without objection which indicates that the Government can proceed to ratification. The Instrument of Ratification will be drawn up for signature by the Foreign Secretary and deposited at the International Labour Organization as soon as is practicable in the new year. The Convention would enter into force for the UK one year after the date of the UK’s ratification.

Universal Credit: Self-employed

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the (1) number, and (2) percentage, of Universal Credit recipients whose payments are affected by the minimum income floor for self-employed people.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: In September 2021, the latest month for which there is available data, there were around 4,000 gainfully self-employed Universal Credit (UC) recipients not in a start-up period and earning below the minimum income floor. This is 1% of all self-employed UC recipients, and 0.1% of all UC claimants. This number will likely change significantly over the coming year as we gradually reintroduce our pre-pandemic processes for the self-employed, many of whom claimed while the minimum income floor was suspend

Unemployment: Young People

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Evening Standard and Independent's £1 million Skill Up Step Up campaign tohelp address youth joblessness; and what plans they have, if any, to match-fund the newspapers' campaign.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Campaigns that encourage employers to create more opportunities and to invest in the skills of their future workforce, can make an important contribution to helping young people thrive in the labour market. The Government welcomes the opportunity to work with partners (existing and new) who share our commitment to supporting young people to fulfil their potential for their benefit, as well as that of wider society. The Government’s Plan for Jobs offers a strong foundation of employment and skills support so young unemployed people can move in to work. Through the face to face support offered in our jobcentres and Youth Hubs, we see the potential of young Londoners every day and it’s vital for business to be a partner in opening up opportunities for them. We know it changes lives, with 21,000 young people in the city having secured jobs for employers of all sizes through our Kickstart Scheme. There is huge strength in coming together as we unleash the talent of the next generation.

Employment and Training: Ethnic Groups

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide (1) training, and (2) job opportunities, for members of the black community in London, aged 16–24, who are currently unemployed.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Government is committed to levelling up and building back better by helping our young people from all backgrounds to boost their skills and get into work. There were a record high 4.22 million individuals from an ethnic minority background in employment in September 2021, an increase of 110,000 on the year. We continue to support young people from all backgrounds through our Youth Offer which is now available for all 16 to 24-year olds making a claim for Universal Credit and in the intensive work search group. It provides wrap-around support through the 13-week Youth Employment Programme, Youth Hubs where young people can access a range of services in one location, and specialist Youth Employability Coaches. These are helping all young people move into work-related provision such as access to education, training or employment programmes that will ultimately lead to sustained employment opportunities and career progression. For example, The Department for Work and Pensions are working with the Black Training Enterprise Group in Brent and Newham, improving opportunities for young black men to secure skilled jobs in higher-earning sectors including Construction, Financial Services, and Information Technology. The largest ever expansion of traineeships, and extension of the apprenticeship and traineeship incentive payments to employers in England, will also help young people from all backgrounds to access high quality training and apprenticeship opportunities. The Youth Offer, and other support such as our Kickstart programme, is part of our £2 billion Plan for Jobs, which was boosted by a further £500 million in October 2021. This is giving all young people the right support that will ultimately lead to sustained employment opportunities and career progression.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Landfill: Health Hazards

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on public health of toxic air from landfill sites.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Operators of landfill sites are required to apply to the Environment Agency (EA) for an Environmental Permit before operations can commence. During the application process the EA assesses the impact of emissions to air from landfills on the environment and human health. The EA also assesses emissions during routine check monitoring and in response to specific incidents. Whenever there are concerns over potential impacts on human health the relevant data is forwarded to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) as the Government body responsible for protecting the health of communities. The predecessor to UKHSA, the Health Protection Agency, published advice in 2011 on the impacts on health of emissions from landfill sites. The report concluded that a well-managed modern landfill site does not pose a significant risk to human health. This advice remains consistent with the research sponsored by Defra in 2004, which was reviewed by the Royal Society. The UKHSA works with the EA to ensure that individual landfill sites do not contribute significantly to ill-health.

Trapping

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the consultation on the use of snares will be launched that was announced in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare on 12 May.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: When used improperly, snares can cause immense suffering and we are looking at whether changes are needed to address these concerns. The call for evidence on the use of snares will be launched in due course, and this is an issue we are looking at closely as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world.

Inland Waterways: Sewage

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what penalties can be applied against individual directors of water companies who recklessly or repeatedly discharge unpermitted sewage into waterways.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: There is a range of legal powers available to Defra and its regulators, such as the Environment Agency, to hold company directors to account when they cause or knowingly permit a breach of environmental regulations. These powers are used regularly to hold directors to account, including where necessary bringing forward criminal proceedings.If successful, prosecution can lead to company director(s) being fined, imprisoned, handed a suspended sentence, ordered to do unpaid community work, and disqualified from holding office as a director for a fixed period of up to fifteen years.

Food: Production

The Earl of Caithness: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 15 November (HL Deb, col 49GC),what are the reasons for the minister's view that the Earl of Caithness has argued that "the choice is between food production andecological restoration".

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: My remark referred to comments made by my noble Friend during the passage of the Environment Bill, where he implied a focus on the environment could conflict with the need to produce food. The remark did not refer to the speech delivered by my noble Friend during the Beyond Brexit Debate (15 November 2021). The Government is committed to rewarding farmers and land managers for their role as environmental stewards and investing in productivity, through our future environmental land management schemes and current schemes like the recently launched Farming Investment Fund. A healthy environment is crucial to providing the ecosystem services which underpin a thriving agricultural sector, through fertile soils, clean water and pollination.

Tree Planting

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, of the target of 5,000 hectares of trees planted, what proportion were planted in (1) 2020, and (2) 2021; and what the delivery target will be for 2022.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government committed to trebling woodland creation rates to 30,000 hectares per year in the UK by the end of this Parliament. The Government aims to at least treble woodland creation in England over that time period to contribute to that target and will maintain new planting at least at this level from 2025 onwards.After centuries of deforestation, tree cover in the UK reached its low point in 1924, with only 5% of the UK forested after the First World War. Now, after a century of effort, we have brought woodland cover back up to 13% of our land. The areas of new planting (woodland creation) taken from the Forestry Commission’s Forestry Statistics are shown below: Year (ending 31 March)New planting in England (thousand hectares)2019-202.342020-212.06 Since 2020-21 there are also quarterly interim reports (provisional statistics) on new planting of woodland published in the Forestry Commission Key Performance Indicators. In the first half of 2021-22 there were 856 hectares of new planting of woodland in England. We expect further trees to be planted throughout this tree planting season which ends in March 2022, and our projections show we are currently on the right trajectory to meet our commitments.In England, we are boosting the existing £640 million Nature for Climate Fund with a further £124 million of new money, ensuring total spend of more than £750 million by 2025 on peat restoration, woodland creation and management - above and beyond what was promised in the manifesto.

Forests: Commodities

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide translations of the consultation document and online survey on implementing due diligence on forest risk commodities, in order to aid those responding from source countries.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government published a consultation on 3 December 2021 to seek views on how the world-leading due diligence provisions introduced in the Environment Act should be implemented. The consultation will be open until 11 March 2022 and is available at: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/international-biodiversity-and-climate/implementing-due-diligence-forest-risk-commodities/ Although the legislation will only apply to relevant businesses operating in the UK, the consultation is open to respondents across the world. We want to hear from a wide range of stakeholders in the UK and internationally on the principles of our proposal, and to use their feedback to ensure that we design secondary legislation in the most effective way. Whilst we do not have plans to issue translations of the technical consultation document and online survey, Defra will continue to work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office to help ensure relevant stakeholders in other countries can engage effectively in the consultation.

Home Office

Refugees: Resettlement

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Transnational Resettlement Project UK and Ireland.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Northern Ireland was not considered for the resettlement of refugees as part of the Transnational Resettlement Project UK and Ireland.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Trans-national Resettlement Project UK (TRUKI) was funded by the European Commission and closed in 2010. A report commissioned by UK Border Agency (UKBA) providing an evaluation of the scheme can be found on the Sheffield Hallam University website under 'publications'. The TRUKI does not form part of current policy development.Since 2015, we have resettled more than 25,000 refugees through safe and legal routes.

Refugees: Resettlement

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government who are the support providers for the Gateway Protection Programme.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Gateway Protection Programme ran between 2004 and 2020, supporting UNHCR’s global effort to provide durable solutions to the plight of refugees. Since the first arrivals in March 2004, the UK resettled nearly 10,000 refugees under the programme; generally those in protracted situations.Refugees who arrived under the programme were provided with a twelve-month package of housing and integration support, delivered by support providers, including Horton Housing Association, Sheffield City Council (in partnership with Hull City Council) and the North West Gateway Resettlement Partnership. All costs of the refugees (including health, education and social benefits) for the first 12 months after their arrival were funded. In addition, all refugees in the UK are immediately granted access to mainstream benefits and services to enable their integration.

Human Trafficking: Organised Crime

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the European Commission’s proposed regulation 2021/0387 on measures against transport operators that facilitate or engage in trafficking in persons or smuggling of migrants, what assessment they have made of the effect the regulations could have on (1) air, (2) sea, (3) road, and (4) rail operators between the UK and the EU, particularly on the island of Ireland.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There is a high level of cooperation on border security between both the UK and Irish Governments to ensure we are taking all the necessary measures to protect and secure the Common Travel Area, this includes people travelling from Ireland to the UK.The Home Office, Ireland’s Garda National Immigration Bureau and Border Management Unit, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other police forces work together to tackle abuse of the CTA by conducting intelligence-led checks and enforcement operations.We continue to take a whole route approach in pursuing the crime groups who facilitate people smuggling to the UK and who exploit vulnerable migrants, knowingly putting people in life-threatening situations.

Visas: British National (Overseas)

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people from Hong Kong have (1) applied to relocate to the UK under the British Nationals (Overseas) (BNO) visa scheme since January, and (2) arrived in the UK under the BNO visa scheme since January; and what steps they have taken to help such people settle within local communities.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: (1) The Home Office publishes data on visas and the British National Overseas (BN(O)) route in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ which can be found on Gov.uk The data relates to the first three quarters of 2021, January to September, and are derived from management information. These statistics include data on main applicants and dependants and some data are rounded to the nearest hundred. Data for Q4 2021 will be published on 24 February 2022. (2) At present it is not possible from the data to say how many of those issued with a visa have arrived in the UK. (3) In April 2021, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) launched a new UK-wide Welcome Programme to support Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders with a package worth £43.1 million for this financial year.

Police: Equality

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the recruitment of black police officers.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is clear that the police uplift is a once in a generation opportunity to increase the diversity of police officers in England and Wales. This includes increasing the proportion of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic recruits. It is encouraging to see that the proportion of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic officers is growing and is at its highest since comparable records began. There are now over 10,000 officers from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background in forces across England and Wales however there is much more to be done and forces cannot be complacent. Through the Police Uplift Programme, we are supporting all forces with a variety of attraction and recruitment strategies, whilst delivering a national campaign designed to reach diverse audiences. Sharing best practice, engagement with police staff associations, upskilling recruitment teams and enhanced data capture are just some of the efforts being made to improve police diversity.

Crimes of Violence: Coronavirus

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a person knowing that they are carrying COVID-19, and knowing that they may be at risk of transmitting the virus to another person with or without the intention to cause harm, could be charged with assault.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Self-isolation is a vitally important weapon in the battle against the spread of the virus, it ensures that friends, family, community, and NHS are protected. Therefore, a new legal duty was introduced in September 2020 requiring a person in England to self-isolate for 10 days if they tested positive for the COVID-19. To increase compliance and ensure our domestic self-isolation regime is effective failure to self-isolate can result in an FPN of £1000 for the first offence. This increases to £2000 for a second offence, £4000 for a third offence and £10,000 for a fourth and any subsequent offence. Failure to pay a Domestic Self-Isolation Fixed Penalty Notice can be subject to criminal proceedings. There may be some circumstances where someone could be charged with assault by risking harm to others in passing on COVID-19 but such charging decisions would be for the Crown Prosecution Service to consider.

PKK

Baroness Greengross: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made as to whether the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) poses a terrorist threat to the UK; and what assessment they have made of the ruling by the Court of Cassation in Belgium that the PKK is not a terrorist organisation.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Partiya Karkeren Kurdistani (PKK) has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK since 2001. The Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters, including the threat posed by specific proscribed organisations.The Terrorism Act 2000 allows the Home Secretary to proscribe a group if she has a reasonable belief that it is currently concerned in terrorism and proscription is proportionate action to take. It is this statutory test which the Government applies when considering whether to proscribe an organisation or maintain an extant listing.

Napier Barracks: Coronavirus and Tuberculosis

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Home Secretary has (1) received, and (2) is complying with, advice from the UK Health Security Agency, regarding (a) the ongoing use of Napier Barracks, (b) the current COVID-19 outbreak in Napier Barracks, and (c) the current cases of active tuberculosis in Napier Barracks.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have not received any advice from UK Health Security Agency on the ongoing use of Napier however we continue to engage with UK Health Security Agency to ensure that COVID 19 is managed effectively on site.I am not aware of any known COVID positive people at Napier.There are no known cases of active tuberculosis at Napier, the one person identified by the NHS with active TB was, on the advice of UK Health Security Agency, moved to alternative accommodation on 14 December 21.

Asylum: Napier Barracks

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals are currently accommodated in Napier Barracks who indicated in their asylum screening interview or ASF1 form that they are (1) a victim of trafficking, (2) torture, or (3) suffering from mental health problems; and what is the total number of people who have been accommodated in Napier Barracks since April.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: All individuals accommodated at Napier meet the suitability criteria. This is assessed via service user’s asylum screening interview, ASF1’s and any supporting evidence submitted by the service user or their representative.Individuals considered vulnerable under the Asylum Seekers (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2005 regulation 4(3) and/or those who have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism as potential victims of trafficking are not suitable to be accommodated at Napier. Further suitability criteria can be found at: Allocation of accommodation policy, on gov.uk. Asylum seekers allocated to the accommodation have full access to the advisory services provided by Migrant Help and are able to raise issues about their suitability to be accommodated at the site.According to local data held by Clearsprings Ready Homes, 1033 service users have been accommodated at Napier Barracks since 9th of April 2021.

Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Sharpe of Epsom on 8 December (HL Deb col 1976) that draft guidance issued under Clause 65 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is "open to anyone who wishes to comment", whether there is a formal consultation on the draft guidance; to whom comments should be made; and what is the deadline for such comments.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The draft statutory guidance was published on gov.uk on 20 October to inform parliamentary debate of the new measures before votes on them were taken. The Government also carried out two full public consultations on the measures in 2018 and 2019. All responses to these consultations were taken into account when the measures were designed, and the guidance drafted. Clause 65 of the Bill does not require further formal consultation on the statutory guidance.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme; and when the scheme will open.

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme places have been allocated to those who have already evacuated to EU member states.

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government which (1) international organisations, and (2) NGOs, they are working with as part of theAfghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We are working across government and with partners such as UNHCR to design the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), amidst a complex and changing picture. We are committed to working in step with the international community to get this right, and we will set out more details soon.The first to be resettled through the ACRS will be some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk.The ACRS will be focused on people affected by events in Afghanistan, who are located in Afghanistan or in the region.Eligible people will be prioritised and referred for resettlement to the UK as set out in the policy statement published on gov.uk on 13 September.

Treasury

Mortgages: Misrepresentation

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask Her Majesty's Government what independent information resource is available to consumers to check that representative APRs are fairly stated; and what action the Financial Conduct Authority advises customers to take where they are concerned they have been mis-sold under a representative APR that was not fairly stated.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Firms are required by FCA rules to include a representative APR in certain circumstances. The FCA’s handbook provides further rules and guidance on when a representative APR must be shown, how it should be denoted and the level of prominence it must be given. If an advertisement includes an interest rate or any amount relating to the cost of credit, it must also include a representative example. This must contain certain standard information including a representative APR. The example must be clear and concise and must be no less prominent than the information that triggered the inclusion of the example. If a customer is concerned that they have been mis-sold a credit agreement, the customer can make a formal complaint to the firm in question in the first instance. If they feel that their complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily, they are able to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) – an independent body set up to provide arbitration in such cases.

Plastics: Waste

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toreinvest Plastic Packaging Tax revenue to help achieve their target of eliminating avoidable plastic waste by 2042.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Plastic Packaging Tax will provide a clear economic incentive to use recycled material in the production of plastic packaging. This will create greater demand for recycled material and, in turn, stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste. As set out at Budget 2018 when the tax was first announced, future revenues raised from the tax will enable investment to address single-use plastics, waste and litter. Alongside this, the government’s commitments in the Resources and Waste Strategy will help to stimulate private investment in reprocessing and recycling infrastructure. The introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers alongside Collection and Packaging Reforms such as Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and consistency in household and business recycling in England are expected to increase and incentivise appetite for commercial infrastructure investment.

Mortgages: Misrepresentation

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many skilled persons reports under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 section 166 the Financial Conduct Authority has commissioned where the issue of representative APR has been the matter concerned, in each of the last six years.

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Financial Conduct Authority has decided not to make independent periodic checks on the compliance of Financial Conduct Authority regulations by authorised firms, particularly the accuracy of key consumer protection information such as representative APR.

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has requested a firm to outline how it calculates its APR in the last six years, other than at the point granting authorisation; in any cases of representative APR breaches discovered, how many times the FCA has required changes to the firm’s website and product literature; and how many firms have been referred to the enforcement department for resolution.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: This question has been passed on to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA will reply directly to the noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reintroduce a limited version of the furlough scheme to (1) vulnerable households, and (2) small businesses.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government recognises that the impact of the Omicron variant means some businesses are likely to struggle over the coming weeks. In response, we have announced £1 billion of new grant support for hospitality, leisure and cultural sectors to protect jobs and businesses through this period of uncertainty. We are bolstering our package of existing support with:New one-off cash grants of up to £6,000 to support eligible businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors, totalling nearly £700 million.Over £100m of new discretionary funding to local authorities to support other impacted businesses, particularly those in the supply chain. This is on top of the circa £250 million that Local Authorities already have available to distribute at their discretion.£30 million will be made available through the Culture Recovery Fund, to support theatres, museums and other vital cultural institutions through the temporary disruption this winter.The reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme (SSPRS) to help small and medium-sized employers cover the cost of Covid-related sick absences, covering up to two weeks per employee.HMRC also stand ready to support any business affected by the coronavirus pandemic through its Time to Pay arrangement. As part of this, businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in particular will be offered the option of a short delay, and payment in instalments, on a case by case basis. This additional funding is on top of the generous and wide-ranging support package already in place, which the Chancellor announced at the Spring and Autumn Budgets. Small and medium-sized businesses can access Government-guaranteed finance through the extended Recovery Loans scheme until next June. Businesses will also be protected from eviction if they are behind on rent on their premises, thanks to the moratorium in place until March 2022. In addition, business rates relief for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses in England is available until March 2022. Hospitality and tourism businesses will continue to benefit from a VAT reduction, paying only 12.5 per cent until March 2022. To support vulnerable households, the Government continues to provide funding to enable local authorities to offer practical and financial support to those who are eligible and require assistance to self-isolate. This includes a £500 Test and Trace Self-Isolation payment available to people on low incomes who are required to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, cannot work from home, and in turn will lose income as a result of self-isolation. In March 2021, the Government increased funding to local authorities for the discretionary scheme to £20 million a month to enable local authorities to widen eligibility criteria and support more people to isolate. The scheme is in place until March 2022. As we have done throughout the pandemic, we are closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on the economy. We will continue to respond appropriately and proportionately to the changing path of the virus.

Women and Equalities

Safe to Be Me Conference

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the projected budget for the Safe To Be Me: a Global Equality Conference to be held in London on 27–28 June 2022; and how many staff are expected to work on it.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Government looks forward to hosting Safe to Be Me: A Global Equality Conference which will bring together government representatives, businesses, civil society and international parliamentarians on 29 June - 1 July 2022 to address important issues around the safety of LGBT+ people at home and abroad. The Conference will explore four key themes: making progress towards legislative reform that advances equality and legal protections for LGBT+ people globally, including decriminalisation; tackling violence and discrimination; improving access to public services; and working with businesses to strengthen the economic case for LGBT+ inclusion. This will be the UK’s first global LGBT+ Conference, and we will work closely with Lord Herbert of South Downs as Chair of the Conference, and in his role as Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on LGBT+ rights to ensure this event is ambitious.The overall budget allocated to the delivery of the Conference is still being finalised. As of December 2021, there are 8.25 FTE staff within the international LGBT+ team in the Cabinet Office who are working on the Conference with oversight from a Deputy Director. Additionally, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office currently has 8.25 FTE staff within the international LGBT+ rights team whose work includes the Conference, as well as substantial oversight from the relevant Director General. We expect resourcing to increase in the run up to the Conference.